The Public Relations Department and the Singers Association of Thailand under the royal patronage of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, has organized the third Music in the Garden on the theme of United Hearts for Unity. They will return happiness to the people through the medium of beautiful songs by national artists including Suthep Wongkamhaeng, Jintana Suksatit, Jirakhom Kitiyakorn, Roongrudee Phaengphongsai, Umaphon Buapheung, Jittima Jeujai, Charum Thepchai and Thipphawan Pinphiban.

Music lovers can attend the event free of charge on Thursday, June 19, 2014, from 4:30 p.m. onwards at Health Park, the Department of Public Relations, Soi Aree, Bangkok.

Udonthani officials are ready to report to the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) on the situation on rare wood smuggling in the province, after it has recently arrested 5 people suspected of committing the crime.

According to police, they have arrested Watcharapan Borkboon and Chalermkiat Khaepimpan as well as three other suspects for illegal possession of rosewood. Wacharapan is the the Seka sub-district chief in Buengkarn province while Chalermkiat is a village chief in Nong Bua Lampoo. Police seized 23 logs of Rosewood, 3 cars and 6 mobile phones.

The arrest was made after authorities had received a tip-off on the smuggling of the rare wood. Police were then deployed at the entrance of Nongbuangen Village in Nongwuasaw District.

Later in the day, the officials pulled over a pickup truck carrying 3 suspects and the 23 rosewood logs, which were covered under sheets of sailcloth. The suspects confessed that they were being hired for 40,000 baht to transport the illegal logs.

Meanwhile, another squad of police apprehended two other suspects, Wacharapan and Chalermkiat, who were acting as lookouts. The 5 suspects are now awaiting further legal action.

The Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) has been told to quickly address the forest encroachment issue in 9 target provinces and to yield results within 6 month.

Colonel Phongphet Ketsupha, a planning specialist at the ISOC, said the agency will quickly tackle deforestation, encroachment of forests and public space, and degradation of natural resources. Although the ISOC will work to tend to these issues on a national scale, the National Council for Peace and Order has ordered it to emphasize on 9 provinces where the problem was severe. These include Phetchabun, Phitsanulok, Sukhothai, Nan Lampang, Ubonratchathani, Nakhon Ratchasima, Loei and Krabi. For these 9 provinces, the ISOC must also yield visible results within 6 months.

On Wednesday, officials from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation were accompanied by soldiers in a search of a wooden dwelling in Pai district of Mae Hong Son province which was suspected of being a disguise for a stockpile of illegal logs. Officials discovered that the structure comprised mostly of processed teak wood of the same size. The home owner, a hill tribe woman, could not explain the origin of the wood when questioned by officials.

The team of officials went on to disassemble 5 dwellings that similarly provided disguise for teak wood stockpile in the area.

The drive to eliminate illegal weapons remains in full swing. On Wednesday officials from the Region 1 Police and military officials in Surin announced the confiscation of hundreds of weapon items.

Locals in Surin have handed in scores of rifles, bullets and grenades to authorities in compliance with the NCPO’s announcement stipulating that individuals who hand in the illegal weapons by June 25 will not be charged. In addition to the aforementioned items, improvised guns, M60 bullets, throwing grenades and AK 47 bullets were also acquired from locals.

The police announced on Wednesday that from Monday to Wednesday, officials of the Region 1 Provincial Police were able to make multiple arrests, seizing 3 M79 grenade launchers and 94 grenades, 2 AK assault rifles and 229 bullets, a carbine, a 9mm handgun and 60 bullets, an RPG launcher and 17 rocket-propelled grenades, and 18 hand grenades. 27,400 Meth pills were also confiscated from those arrested.

The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has asked for cooperation from vendors of agricultural factors to provide discounts to rice farmers, in an attempt to help the latter cut cost by at least 500 baht per rai. The measure has been devised to replace the now-abolished rice pledging program.

The decision was reached during yesterday’s meeting of the NCPO, the Thai Rice Millers Association, the Thai Rice Exporters Association, the Thai Rice Farmers Association, related government units, and the Committee on formulation of measures to boost rice production and marketing.

NCPO Deputy Head for Economic Affairs and chairman of the afore-mentioned committee, General Chatchai Sarigalya, said the meeting concluded that private operators would all join the mission to reduce rice production cost by at least 500 baht per rai. Currently farmers are spending approximately 4,000 baht per rai in their operation. To achieve the goal, vendors of fertilizers, pesticides, seeds, farming equipment and land owners have agreed to give discounts to rice farmers. At the same time, the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives would provide low interest loans to rice farmers and would soon issue additional measures to take care of paddy prices.

Chairman of the Thai Rice Farmers Association, Wichian Puanglamjiak, meanwhile, requested that the cost-cutting measures should be separated for farmers in irrigated areas and non-irrigated areas. He said farmers in non-irrigated zone usually have higher operating cost and, therefore, should not share the same benefit as the other group.

Mr. Wichian also stated that the NCPO’s commitment to guarantee prices of paddy at 8,000-9,000 baht per ton is acceptable to farmers for the moment.

Chulalongkorn University has announced the results of medical research on an aphrodisiac herbal medicine that does not create side effects in users.

The revelation was made by Pharmacist Phon-Anong Aramwit of the Department of Pharmacy Practice, Faculty of Pharmacy Science, who told the media that her research took three and a half years to develop.

She said in order to eliminate side effects, the aphrodisiac medicine contains only non-synthetic ingredients. The medicine consists mostly of blood stimulating herbs such as Black Galingale, Agaonema tenuipes Engl (Wankhanmak), Chive seeds, Safflower, and honey.

In tests, subjects with low to medium sex drive have shown significant improvement after taking the medicine, without exhibiting any side effects, unlike the popular Viagra. The enhancement provided by the herbal medicine lasts 3-4 hours, unlike Viagra which can remain in the human system for as long as 72 hours.

The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation on behalf of Thailand is to hold ‘The Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction 2014: 6th AMCDRR’, over the five days 22nd-26th June 2014 at the Bangkok Convention Hall, Central World, Bangkok.

The main topic of the meeting is the restoration of investment support after a disaster, in order to gain from Asian and world disaster prevention measures.

The National Council for Peace and Order has urged the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) and all banks to increase scrutiny of bank accounts suspected of being involved in money laundering, after finding that this method of money laundering has become more popular.

General Phaibhun Khumchaya, head of judicial and legal affairs at the NCPO, met with representatives from the AMLO and banks on Wednesday to discuss the issue of money laundering. He explained that money from drug trafficking and gambling was being deposited into banks, while call-center gangs that utilize bank accounts have become increasingly numerous; there are as many as 324 bank accounts being investigated for connection with call- center gangs.

The NCPO asked that banks increase scrutiny of each account owner’s first transaction. Should the cash value exceed 2 million baht or should the transaction involve assets worth more than 5 million baht, the AMLO should be asked to step in and probe the account. Gen. Phaibun said that if the money laundering issue can be solved, Thailand’s international standing will improve and foreigners will have more confidence investing in Thailand.

Satun Province has stepped up its inspection on fishing trawlers operating in the Andaman Sea.

As part of the province’s efforts to ensure the welfare of local and migrant fishermen as well as to prevent human tracking activity in the area, Satun Deputy Governor Prayoon Ratanaseni has led a team of inspectors to conduct a random inspection on fishing trawlers in the Andaman Sea

Most of the migrant workers in the province’s fishing industry are Burmese, said Mr. Prayun, who is also the head of the committee inspecting fishermen in terms of employment, working condition, human trafficking, and fishing vessels with dual nationality.

According to him, the province has imposed strict measures on inspecting the livelihood of fishermen, while urging the sector’s business operators to register their illegal migrant workers in order to avoid legal complication, in compliance with the policy of the National Council of Peace and Order.

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is stepping up measures against drug abuse while asking the public to be eyes and ears for authorities.

Deputy Bangkok Governor Pusadee Tamthai, in her capacity as acting Bangkok Governor, said drug problems had become one of the most important and urgent issues, especially in Bangkok where drug abuse exists in many communities. She said the BMA had been working hard on eradicating drug problems in accordance with its policy to establish Bangkok as the Metropolitan of Happiness.

The acting governor also called on the public to contribute to solutions to the problem by keeping their eyes open and reporting any suspicious activities. She added that the community itself would be key to effectively eliminate drugs in the Thai society.

Lastly, she said love and understanding in the family could provide an immune to protect family members from becoming drug victims.